Taking the Heat
by quarterhorseranch
Summary: As Chick challenges Lightning to an impromptu race at Willie's Butte, trouble arises...along with questions about who can really take the heat.
1. Challenged

_DISCLAIMER: I don't own Cars.:(_

* * *

It was a mostly quiet morning in Radiator Springs, the only thing breaking the silence being the familiar daily bickering of Filmore and Sarge over their personal music preferences.

"Filmore! Turn that disrespectful junk off!"

"I'm tellin' ya, man, respect the classics!"

All the townsfolk were beginning to gather 'round Flo's Cafe to have a morning conversation and can of fuel before business picked up later in the day. All except for Lightning McQueen and Doc Hudson, who were down at Willie's Butte having a training session.

Or, rather, Lightning was training and Doc was criticizing his training, yelling at him about everything from getting distracted by the littlest things to not getting to sleep early enough the previous night so he wouldn't be half-asleep while he was driving 200 mph around a dirt track.

"If you can't get focused on what you're doing, it can cause accidents, you know that as well as I do. How late did you get to bed, anyway?"

"Uhh, I dunno, maybe one?" Lightning muttered sleepily.

"AM or PM?"

"Huh?"

"Never mind. Finish the lap and we'll get back to Flo's. This afternoon we'll do some more. And for goodness sake, take a nap before then!" Doc snapped as Lightning pulled up in front of him.

Lightning just smiled. He knew Doc wasn't really mad at him, but the older racecar had a tendency to be grumpy, especially since it was currently about seven in the morning.

The two cars made their way back to the main part of town.

"I'm sorry, Doc. It's just that Sally had me up half the night talking about _wedding plans_." Lightning rolled his eyes slightly.

He loved Sally, so much that he'd proposed to her and now the two cars were engaged to be married, but she tended to get a little over-obsessive with organization, especially if the thing she was organizing was her own wedding.

"Naw, that's all right, kid. Don't mind me, I'm just a grumpy old racecar." He chuckled. "I know I'm not always in the best of moods, but-"

"But you're not as grouchy as you could be?" Lightning suggested.

"Ha, ha. Watch your mouth, kid, or it'll get you in trouble."

* * *

The day had turned out to be pretty slow, business-wise, so most of the town's residents were still hanging around Flo's, as well as a few customers.

One couple had driven in with their nine-year-old child, a boy who had stared at Lightning with awe in his eyes and was almost too overwhelmed to ask for his autograph.

"Here you go," Lightning said and smiled as he passed back the signed autograph book, then exchanged an amused glance with Doc.

The boy followed his glance and stared at Doc, then asked him in a soft, dumbfounded voice, "Are you the Hudson Hornet?"

Doc shot Lightning an annoyed look for getting him into this, then replied, "Sure am, kid."

"Can you sign my autograph book?"

"Of course, kid."

Now it was Doc's turn to be gaped at, something that he didn't particularly appreciate.

"Run along, now, before your parents worry."

"Okay!" He re-joined his parents, who were now driving out of the cafe. "Bye Mr. Hudson! Bye Mr. McQueen! Thank you for your time!"

"And all the admiring fans love you," Sally told Lightning as she drove over and pecked Lightning on the cheek.

"Yeah," he replied, sounding slightly embarrassed.

Suddenly, there was the distant roar of an engine.

"Whuh-uh," said the Sheriff. "Here comes trouble."

"Hey, McQueen!" Chick Hicks, Lightning's main racing competitor, drove into the cafe, revving his engine. "I've missed ya at the track. You too scared to show up and practice?"

Lightning snorted. "Hardly. We've got our own track here."

"Oh, have ya now. But don't you think a track here wouldn't be quite-" He lowered his voice to a stage whisper. "_Up to par _with the official track?" He was obviously trying to get a rise out of Lightning.

It worked.

"Our track is just as good, maybe _better _than the one at the racetrack." _At least, it's good for teaching hotshot Piston Cup racecars that they don't know everything there is to know about racing, _Lightning added to himself.

"Oh, is it now? Maybe I could test it out for ya, just to make sure it's up to standard. Fair, ya might say."

_What does he know about fair? _Doc thought.

"We could have, say, a race of sorts," Chick finished slyly.

"You're on!" Lightning replied, eagerness in his voice. He wanted to see Chick dumped into a cactus.

"Say, noon tomorrow?"

"Isn't that a bit foreboding?" Lightning said, chuckling a bit.

"What, you superstitious or something?"

"No! What I meant was, uhh, wouldn't it be a bit hot at noon?"

"If ya can't take the heat, get out of the race!" Chick snapped.

Lightning frowned. He didn't think he'd ever get used to Chick's taunts. "Oh, I can take the heat fine." Luckily, he had plenty of experience dealing with them. "Maybe it's not me you should be worried about."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Chick's voice began to get menacing.

Sheriff cleared his throat loudly.

Chick gave him a glance, then turned back to Lightning. "Noon, tomorrow." With that, he drove away.

"What did he want in the first place?" Sally asked when he was gone, speaking to no one in particular.

"Who can tell with troublemakers like him. I'm just glad he's gone," The Sheriff said, sounding grumpy. "Too many other problems to deal with. I don't need one more. Now I've got to oversee a race tomorrow, which is just asking for trouble if you ask me."

Doc was not one to say, 'I told you so.' He didn't have to. The look he gave Lightning said it all.

"Why are you blaming me? He started the whole thing!"

"I didn't say anything, Lightning, I didn't say anything." He drove off towards his office, leaving Lightning to sulk.

"That _was _kinda stupid," Sally said.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Lightning agreed, sullen. Then he perked up. "But don't you want to see Chick fall into a bed of cactus?"

"Cact_i_."

"What? My eye?"

"No. The plural of cactus is cact_i_."

"Whatever."

"And yes, I do look forward to that."

* * *

This is my first story, so please review if you haven't already!!!!

In response to LightningAndDoc's review, I do plan on elaborating on Lightning & Sally's engagement, just not for a few chapters yet.


	2. Complications

Special thanks to all who reviewed, specifically Sally Jonson and LightningAndDoc.

_DISCLAIMER: Still don't own Cars, much the pity._

_

* * *

_

That afternoon at Willie's Butte, Lightning was still eager to see Chick taken down a peg or two.

"I wonder if, when he lands in the cactus, a reporter will pop out of a bush or something, and then Chick will have his picture on the front page of the _Racing Times_, cactus and all! Man, that'd be awesome-"

"KID!" Doc's voice came over the radio with a static crackle, breaking Lightning's rambling. The red racecar snapped back to the present. Mostly.

"What? It could happen! The reporters are everywhere."

"That's not what I was referring to. Quit being so arrogant! You're acting like you did when you first came here." Lightning winced. The first time he'd come to Radiator Springs, he'd acted as if he were above the town and it's residents, insulting everything and everyone, including both Doc and his now-fiancee, Sally. It wasn't something to be proud of. However, he didn't dwell on the memories.

"But, don't you want to see Chick get a taste of his own medicine?"

"If you want an honest answer, yes. That boy's too cocky for his own good."

"See, you agree with me!"

"The difference is, I'm not goin' around braggin' about how I'm gonna win."

_You're not the one in the race_, Lightning thought, but he kept it to himself. He didn't want to make Doc mad at him again, as the comment would surely do. "But with that _right turn_, I'm guaranteed to win!"

"Maybe, but maybe not. All racecars can have an off day, even you. Or, Chick may know something we don't know he knows, if you know what I mean."

"Uhhh, sure..." Lightning didn't know.

"I'll put it a different way. Yes, if Chick gets tossed into the tulips tomorrow, he'll be embarrassed. But, if he somehow doesn't, and you lose, how much more embarrassed will _you_ feel, especially if you've been goin' around bad-mouthing Chick, sayin' how he didn't have a chance."

Lightning thought about it. He liked Doc, and respected what he said, and this time (like most), his words struck home.

"Yeah, I guess you're right..."

"And the plural of cactus is _cacti_." Lightning rolled his eyes and groaned, and Doc chuckled.

"Sorry, kid, it had to be said. Come on in, that's enough for now."

Lightning pulled up beside Doc, and they drove slowly back to town. _Slowly_ because Lightning was panting.

"Man, could it get any hotter? And it'll be even hotter tomorrow."

"One of the reasons this race is a bad idea. It'd be better if it was in the morning or evening." He stopped and glanced over at Lightning, who was watching him with a guarded expression. "Relax, kid, I'm not gonna lecture you. Chick gets to a lot of people, including me." He grunted. "But about the heat, I could get you something, to keep you from overheating."

Lightning paused, and considered it.

"But if Chick will be as embarrassed as you said he would be, he'd try to find some way to prove that me winning was a fluke. And even if his 'proof' is something stupid or insignificant, rumors can start."

Doc's eyes appraised Lightning. "That he would. But you proved pretty well during the last Piston Cup that you weren't a fluke. Or a cheater, either," Doc amended.

Lightning had almost won the Piston Cup by a huge margin, until Chick had bumped the King on purpose and made him crash. Lightning had stopped just short of the finish and let Chick win, so that he could go back and help the King across the finish line. He himself had come in last.

"It's your choice, though; I can't make it for you. I can only give you suggestions," Doc finished.

Lightning thought for a moment, then decided. "I don't really want to deal with bad publicity, which would mean not doing anything that anybody might question. Even though I know that not taking precautions would increase the chance that I'd overheat...what?"

Doc was staring at Lightning. "That's a wise choice, rookie. Shows maturity."

"Thanks, Doc," Lightning said, then added, "I will be careful, though, about overheating."

"See that you do," the other car replied with a gruffness in his voice that Lightning recognized. Doc didn't pay compliments often.

"But anyway, Chick's bound to spin out. You might not even have to try very hard. 'Might not even have to cross the start."

Lightning grinned. "Like you did?"

Now it was Doc's turn to be amused. "But let's hope you don't fall into the tulips this time."

* * *

Meanwhile, Mater was driving to Flo's. He'd just finished showing some racing fans around the racing museum. He always enjoyed doing it, especially because it gave him the chance to brag on his two friends, Lightning McQueen and Doc Hudson, who was also known as the Fabulous Hudson Hornet. He snickered, thinking of how the fangirls always stared up at the two racecars with an expression of sheer awe in their eyes.

And sometimes they squealed.

He also got a kick out of it because, though Lightning had charm to spare from his time in the fast lane and easily dealt with screaming fans and crowding reporters, Doc was not at all appreciative of people staring at him.

Or fangirls squealing.

He _could_ deal with them, as he always had to when being Lightning's crew chief, but he generally preferred not to.

Just then, he heard the sound of giggling females coming up the road towards him, towards the outskirts of the Radiator Springs.

As they got closer, he recognized the two cars as the twin fangirls, Mia and Tia, which was odd because when they visited the town, which was often now that Lightning's racing headquarters was there, they usually spent their time at Flo's, where the racecar usually got mobbed by photographers. Mater knew they didn't know the country around Radiator Springs, and could easily get lost.

As he got closer to them, he called, "Kin ah help you with anythin', ladies?" They immediately stopped giggling and stared at him.

"Oh, yes, we were just trying to find Lightning...," one of them stammered. He was pretty sure it was Mia.

"Wull, ain't ya goin' in tha wrong direction fer that?"

"Y-yes, we are!" Tia said quickly.

"Yeah, no sense of direction, that's us!" Mia agreed.

Mater found their babbling a little suspicious, and with good cause. In reality, they'd been trying to find where Lightning practiced, in the hopes of spying on him and then stalking him all day. Even so, Mater continued the conversation like everything was normal.

"Let's git you bahk ta Flo's, then, so you kin wait fer him there."

Mia sized up the situation with speed that reflected her time at the racetrack, where things moved, as she and Tia liked to say, _Lightning_ _fast_. She decided the naive tow truck would not turn them in, and told the truth.

"Well, a-actually, we were trying to find where Lightning practiced, so maybe we could watch him and learn a few tricks." The half-truth, anyway.

Mater seemed to think for a moment.

"Ah'm sorry, ah ain't at liberdy ta disclose that infermation."

Tia had been staring at Mia in shock, but now she was disappointed. "Can you at least tell us where he'd be this time of day?"

"Wull, he's prob'ly out practicin' fer that race tomorruh-"

"A race?" both twin said in perfect unison. "I thought his next race wasn't for over a week?" Mia coaxed.

"Yeah, but earlier taday, Chick came an' challenged him tuh a race, here." He paused. "But akshully, ah don't think ah wuz supposed ta tell ya that. So it's our little secret, all raht?"

"Oh, sure, all right!" Mia agreed quickly.

"Our secret!" Tia repeated.

Mater nodded, satisfied, and led the way to Flo's.

The twins exchanged an excited look. Wait till they told the reporters!

* * *

I cannot type. I tried to say 'put' and accidentally wrote 'out,' then changed it to 'pout,' then 'pot,' and then, finally, 'put.' I can't put it right (oh my, I did it again) so I'm going to go out and pout on a pot.(!)

PLEASE, please review.:D You know you want to...


	3. Changing Plans

Thanks again to all who reviewed, and be advised that if you want to see your name up here in a list of 'thank you's, then you'd better review. Seriously, even a few words helps.

_DISCLAIMER: I don't own _

* * *

Lightning McQueen sat overlooking the racetrack the next morning, watching the sun creep nearer and nearer to the middle of the sky. He'd spent the last hour trying to decide how exactly to go about beating Chick.

He could start with Chick, and engage him in a battle for the lead, like he normally did, or he could start late, like Doc had done.

Of course, that would be assuming Chick didn't somehow find a way to avoid the cactus bed.

_Cacti,_ he told himself. If he wanted everyone to stop correcting him, which was getting to be annoying, he'd better start saying it right.

"You ready, kid?"

He turned to see Doc pull up beside him.

He grinned. "As I'll ever be." Then he paused. "I still don't know if I should start late or be more aggressive like I normally am at the racetrack."

"Well, are those your only options?"

Lightning fell silent for a moment, and slowly an idea began to form in his head. A small smile spread across his face.

"I'm guessing that means 'no.'"

"Listen," Lightning said, and told Doc about his new plan.

"You may be on to something there, rookie. But wouldn't that make Chick a little suspicious?"

"Did I get suspicious when I didn't see you anywhere behind me?"

"Heh. No. But you weren't expecting anything from me."

"And Chick is, from me. I know. But I did say something about the heat yesterday. I'll just try out my acting skills."

"You'd better practice first. You're a terrible actor. I should know."

Lightning snorted. There were times that he felt just too tired to get up early and make it all the way down to Willie's Butte, so he'd pretend to be feeling under the weather.

It never worked, partly because Doc knew the young racecar well enough to see right through his act, and partly because, well, Doc was a _doctor_.

"I blame that more on your professional expertise than my poor acting skills."

Whenever he tried it now, Doc just told him to shut his mouth and 'get down here before I die of old age.'

Now, the navy blue Hornet regarded Lightning with an air of doubt. "Don't play it up too much," he warned. "Chick's not stupid, no matter how much he acts otherwise. We don't want him to know somethin's up."

"Got it," Lightning responded. He looked distracted as he stared down the road leading to where they sat near the dirt track.

Doc followed his gaze, then grunted.

A mass of green was coming towards them.

"That'd be Chick."

"And his crew."

"Why'd he have to go an' bring all of them?" Doc asked, suddenly disgruntled.

"Moral support?" joked Lightning, with a touch of sarcasm in his voice. _He'll need it, _he added to himself.

Doc sighed heavily. "I'll go get the Sheriff."

Lightning stared after him as the older racecar drove away. He didn't seem happy about the race.

_Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, after all._

Or maybe Chick just had that effect on people.

He noticed that Doc had taken a longer way into town, to avoid crossing paths with Chick and his entourage.

Yes, Chick definitely had that effect on people.

_That's why pretending that I can't 'take the heat' will be easy._ He laughed when he realized he'd quoted Chick. _Oh, we'll see who can't 'take the heat,'_ he thought, slightly smug.

All his doubts had vanished, and so with that he drove down to the track to wait for Chick.


	4. Cacti

A large THANK YOU and hugs to all who reviewed, specifically Sally Jonson, LightningAndDoc, okami's princess, smile-clarenet, TwilightWarrior88, and SaxyLady.:D

I'll warn you, Chick never shuts up in this chapter. Okay, you've been warned.:)

Also, this chapter ended up being really long—nine pages!! The previous ones were about three pages each, I believe.

_DISCLAIMER: Still don't own Cars...as I technically failed to say in the previous chapter...XD Whoops._

* * *

It seemed as if a green haze had enveloped the whole town from the moment Chick arrived. Most stayed away from Chick if at all possible, but if they wanted to watch the race, they'd have to come to the track, where both Chick and Lightning waited for noon to arrive.

Chick, for one, had gotten bored from all the waiting, and, with nothing to do except taunt McQueen, that is exactly what he did.

"Hey, McQueen, ready to lose?"

"Only if you are."

Chick turned Lightning's reply over in his head, but could make no sense out of it. He tried again.

"Hey, McQueen, are you sure you're ready? For the race? You don't seem to be making much sense today. Maybe the sun's gettin' to ya a bit, ya know? You are kinda red."

Lightning resisted the urge to make a comment about Chick's _greenness,_ and as Chick continued to run his mouth, he realized what game Chick was playing.

_Oh, the irony. Chick's trying to psych me out, when I was already going to pretend to be somewhat freaked out about the race. This is going to be incredibly simple._

Instead of making a witty remark that would surely ruin his act, Lightning refocused his eyes, then blinked and said, "Huh?"

_Gee, the kid really doesn't have it today. Heh. He doesn't need any help spacing out. _Chick rolled his eyes and said, "Nothing."

"Yeah, whatever..." Lightning looked toward Doc, who was trying to catch his eye. "Anyway, I've gotta go talk to my crew chief. You know, to discuss how to beat you."

Chick snorted. "As if. I'll meet at the start in five. Later, McQueen." He then drove away.

Lightning let out a breath in relief. _I can stop acting, at least for now._ He approached Doc, who could tell immediately that something was up.

_Must be somethin' Chick said. My, does that boy cause trouble._ "What's up, rookie? Is the heat getting' to you?"

That caused Lightning to chuckle, as that had been what Chick had just asked, but with a different motive. "Naw. Just Chick being his usual, charming self. Actually, he tried to psych me out. Kind of ironic, you know?"

Doc grunted with humor.

"Anyway, what were you going to tell me? I noticed you were trying to get my attention."

"Hmm? Oh, I just wanted to make sure we were set with the plan."

"Yep. Eat Chick's dust, watch Chick lose control, haul Chick tail-first out of cacti. Easy peasy."

Doc gave a short laugh. "You sound pretty confident."

"You know what? I am. We're gonna kick some bumper today, and if Chick doesn't like it, well then tough." Lightning's confidence rose as he talked, and by the end he was positively _preening_.

So confident was he, that he didn't even hear Mater drive up beside him.

"Hey there, Bud!"

"Bah!" Lightning blurted and jumped to the side. "Oh, Mater, it's just you," he said, a sheepish smile on his face as both Mater and Doc laughed at his expense.

"Wull, who'd ya think it'd be? The _ghostlight?_" Mater's eyes bugged out on the last word, and he burst out in renewed hysterics.

"All right, all right, enough. Enough!" Lightning said, rolling his eyes with tolerant humor.

As his friends' laughter began to die down, something caught his eye: a pair of small red Miatas, giggling and making their way to a suitable spot above the track so they could cheer Lightning on.

The twins.

"Oh, no! What are _they _doing here?"

"What? Who?" Doc scanned the area in search of what had disturbed Lightning.

He grinned. "Oh, those two? I suppose they've come to watch your race."

Lightning rolled his eyes but otherwise ignored Doc's comment.

"No, but how'd they find out about the race? I thought we were gonna try to keep it relatively quiet."

"We were. I guess Chick musta invited 'em."

"But why would he do that? They're _my _fans!"

"You sound a little possessive, there, rookie."

"No! What I meant was-"

"Heh, heh. I know, I know. But Chick must think that when he wins, they'll ditch you and he'll have two more admirers. More media attention for him," Doc noted.

Through all this, Mater had been sitting subdued, which was uncharacteristic and completely opposite from his normally talkative nature. Now, however, he felt the need to speak up.

"Uhh... ah don't think it wuz Chick who invited 'em."

Doc and Lightning fell silent and turned to look at Mater.

Lightning frowned. "Well, of course it was; who else would have told them about the race?"

_Ah hope he ain't too mad at me. _Mater was silent for a moment, then continued. "Uhh, I mighta, uhh, accidentally told 'em about it..."

"Mater!" Lightning groaned and was about to continue with all the reasons why telling them had been a bad idea when he was cut short by a look from Doc.

"Mater, didn't I tell you to keep the race quiet?" he demanded, and Lightning could see that Doc's firm inquiries worked better than would his own ranting.

"Yeah, but ya only told me tuh not tell anybody where Lightnin'd be practicin'!" Mater protested with a quick glance at the red racecar.

In order to avoid having reporters swamp the track on race day, or an overzealous fan sabotage the track and therefore the race, Doc had instructed Mater and the other residents of Radiator Springs not to reveal that Lightning practiced at Willie's Butte.

Doc considered Mater's explanation. "Fair enough," he said.

Mater then turned to Lightning and did a puppy-dog face. "Ah'm real sorry, bud. Ah hope ya ain't too mad."

Lightning gave a small smile. "No, Mater, that's okay." _How can I stay mad at him, especially when he pulls a face like that?!_

And that's exactly what Mater had intended. "Great! Hey, maybe t'nite we kin go tracter tippin' agin!" He then shot a glance at Doc. "Uhh... oops."

Doc, however, who already knew about all of Mater's late-night excursions, was looking at Lightning. "You went tractor tipping with Mater?"

The red racecar grimaced. "Long story."

Doc grunted. "I imagine it was."

Their conversation was interrupted by Luigi's arrival.

"Lightening! I must inform you that the time is drawing near for the exhibition of speed to begin! I am filled with tears of ectasy (even though there are no Ferrari's)!"

Lightning blinked. "Could you repeat that?"

Luigi sighed, and, reining in his enthusiasm, said simply, "It is noon!" Then he added, "Oh and the green car with the inflated ego says he wants you."

Lightning rolled his eyes. "That's no surprise. See you in, say, half a lap, Doc."

"Heh. You, too, rookie. Now, go kick some bumper."

The rookie grinned and proceeded down to the start line.

Chick was waiting for him.

"Hey, rook, I've got somethin' to show ya."

Lightning, though reluctant, moved closer anyway. _Morbid curiosity, _he thought. _I don't want to know, but I have to find out._

Chick extended a tire, gesturing to the white line the Sheriff had marked in the dirt. "It's the start line. Better take a good look; it's the only line you're gonna see in this race."

_Oh, really? I think you'd better take a good look, Chick. _"And why's that?"

"'Cause when I cross the finish line, you'll be so far back that it won't even be worth it to drive the rest of the way around!" With that, he burst out in mocking laughter. "HA! Hee hee, I crack me up sometimes..."

Lightning rolled his eyes and inwardly groaned. _How long do I have to put up with this?_

He was saved by the Sheriff, who'd seen Lightning's predicament and driven up to the start.

_I'd better start the race before the rookie forgets his lines. _"Gentlemen," he began, then stopped. _Hoo, boy. Hicks is hardly a gentleman. Oh, well. He will be by the time we're done with him._

"Gentlemen," he repeated. "This race will be one lap, your start line there being your finish line."

_So, technically, this is the only line either of us will see, regardless of who wins, _Lightning thought. _Interesting._

"You will drive to Willie's Butte, go around the butte, then come back." Now the Sheriff was getting a strong sense of deja-vu. Regardless, he continued with an abbreviation of normal rules.

"There will be no pushin', no shovin', no bumpin', nor any form of cheatin'."

Adrenaline was building between the two racers at the start.

"Get ready to lose, McQueen!" Chick crowed.

"Oh, we'll see about that, Chick," Lightning fired back, anticipating Chick's painful introduction to the cactus bed. "_Showtime_," he exclaimed, hunkering down on his axles, a competitive edge in his voice.

Doc frowned. _Easy, rookie._ Though his competitive nature was one of the things he liked about Lightning, it was also one of the things that could get the kid in trouble.

But he couldn't say anything now, he realized. _Or Chick would notice. I just hope the kid doesn't forget his job._

But his fears were unwarranted. When the flag dropped and the dust settled, it was Chick who was in the lead.

Zooming along in a position flanking Chick, Lightning decided to do some more acting. He accelerated, acting like he would attempt to pass Chick.

Chick caught his movement and decided to simply floor his engine to leave the rookie behind.

But while he had expected McQueen to counter with more speed, there was nothing from the other racecar.

Chick glanced back to see Lightning struggling along behind him, seemingly making great efforts just to keep up. _Huh. McQueen's really having a hard time. Winning this race is going to be incredibly simple. I'm gonna beat him by a mile._

As the two racers approached the turn, Lightning slowed down even more.

_Smart kid, _Doc thought. _Goes slow enough that he won't have to slide through the turn and he won't get interfered with if Chick spins wide._

_What, is he scared of a little curve in the track? What a rookie. I'll show him how it's done. _With no concern over his personal welfare, Chick zoomed into the turn. Then, suddenly...

"Ah! Hey!" He felt his wheels being jerked in the opposite direction from where he was supposed to be going, and as Lightning power-slid through he turn, he found himself hurtling through sagebrush and clods of dirt, down a cliff, and finally (and to Lightning's delight), into a large patch of prickly, _painful _cactus.

"OW!" he yelled. "HEY! Get me outta here!" His outrage was clear.

Lightning sped down to the finish, then doubled back to find Chick.

Only Doc and the Sheriff accompanied him, as Chick's pitties were still in shock, their mustaches lying on the ground in front of them.

Lightning leaned over the edge of the cliff and called down to Chick. "Hey, Chick, what're ya doing down there?" he asked innocently.

"Cut the-_hic_-act, McQueen!-_hic_-Just get me-_hic_-outta here!"

Lightning struggled not to laugh as Doc and the Sheriff exchanged a glance. Chick had the hiccups!

Chick's pit crew, now recovered from their stupor, were also looking down at the green racecar, whose color was now providing contrast with the cacti.

"Hey, boss, what..uhh..do you want us to do?"

"You-_hic_-heard me! Get me back-_hic_-up there-_hic_-! NOW!"

While the green pitties milled around, trying to decide what to do, Lightning turned to Mater.

"All yours, Mater."

The tow truck gave a buck-toothed grin. "Okey-dokey!" He then moved to pull Chick out.

As soon as Chick started his ascent onto solid ground, everything went haywire.

Shutters snapped and cameras flashed, blinding and confusing the already stunned Chick.

"-_hic_-Hey! Who invited all the-_hic-_reporters?!" he yelled, his words broken by his sudden bout of hiccups.

Which, of course, the reporters noticed immediately.

"Chick's got the hiccups!"

"And he's covered in cactus!"

This generated even more attention from the swarming paparazzi.

Chick, now feeling insecure, tried in vain to shake off all the bits of cacti Velcro-ed to him in various places.

"Mater?" Lightning asked.

"Ah told 'em not ta tell anybody!"

Lightning looked and found the twins, whispering and giggling off to the side, obviously very proud of themselves.

Though he enjoyed seeing Chick suffer, he did feel a bit sorry for him. He'd had his share of self-doubt, and having reporters in his face never helped. Enough was enough.

He looked for Red and found him nearby, looking a little like he wanted to be a part of the action, but didn't know how.

Or maybe he just didn't want to be mobbed.

"Hey, Red! Can you go help Chick get the cactus off?"

The fire truck smiled and gave a quick nod. He knew exactly what Lightning had in mind.

"Thanks, Red!"

All of a sudden, Chick found himself being assailed by a stream of water.

"OW! Hey!" He jumped aside and moved to glare at his attacker, who was looking contrite. "What're you trying to do, you big oaf? Go away!"

Red, though puzzled, backed off.

Lightning did not feel sorry for Chick anymore. He sped between the two cars and backed up his friend. "Hey! Back off! At least he's not the one covered in cacti!"

"Ooh, touchy," Chick said, some of his confidence returning now that he had someone to spar with.

Then it dawned on him. "Hey, wait a minute..." How had McQueen avoided the cactus? "You _did_ something, McQueen. To get around the turn." He narrowed his eyes.

_Ha. I was right after all,_ Lightning thought.

_McQueen's been doing that a lot, lately,_Chick realized. _Getting out of trouble on the track. I wonder how he does that._ Then something else occurred to him. "This race was a setup!" he shouted. "It was unfair!"

The reporters gave a collective gasp that Lightning would have found funny if he didn't know that he was about to be mobbed.

_Whuh-oh._

All media attention turned to Lightning as Chick looked on, smirking in satisfaction.

"Is this true, McQueen?"

"Was this race a setup?"

Before he could reply, Chick did it for him. "Yeah, yeah, he knew I'd crash, so he challenged me to a race! He on purposely didn't warn me about the turn so that he could beat me without even trying!" he accused. _Get through THAT, McQueen!_

"In case you didn't remember, Chick, _you're _the one that challenged _me."_

Chick thought back. _Man, he's right. _He recovered quickly. "But do you deny that you knew I'd crash?"

"...No, I don't." _Might as well tell the truth; we didn't do anything wrong._

"HA! You wanted me to land in the cactus!"

"Cact_i,_" Lightning corrected automatically.

Chick blinked. "What?"

"The plural of _cactus_ is _cacti._"

Chick shook his hood. "...That's beside the point!" He turned to the paparazzi again. "He used some kind of trick! That should be illegal! It is, right?"

Lightning frowned. "Now, hold on a minute, Chick."

He needn't have bothered.

"The only thing _illegal_ is how you're disturbin' the peace around here!" Doc drove up among gasps and whispers from the reporters, which he ignored. "The whole point of this race was to see which one of you was the better racer on dirt. That point has been made."

"But-"

Doc gave the green racer a long look. "If a race was made flat even by leveling out every difference between competitors, then what would be the point of the race?"

Chick sat in stunned silence. He had no answer for that.

"Uh-huh. That's what I figured. Do us all a favor, Chick, and think before you decide to open your mouth."

Chick had been put on the spot and was getting increasingly annoyed. "Listen, I don't have to take _any _advice from you, old timer."

"No." Doc paused. "But I think it'd be helpful to a lot of people if you did, including yourself."

Chick's eyes narrowed. "Yeah, whatever, _grandpa._" With that, he spun around and left, his back tires kicking up a cloud of dust.

Lightning backed up, coughing.

"Stupid kid," Doc muttered.

Meanwhile, Chick had found the twins. Eager to regain some of his pride, which was now lying in shards all over the racetrack, he sidled up to them.

"Hey, ladies, that was a pretty fast race, huh? I don't think Lightning could pull that off again, don't you? I think I'd beat him easy next time."

The twins exchanged a glance.

"You're fast, Chick,"

"But not..."

"_Lightning fast!" _They both finished, giggling hysterically.

And that was all Chick could take. He spun around violently. "Yeah, well I don't need you, none of you! I can see I'm not wanted here!" he yelled. He went over to his pit crew and motioned. "C'mon, guys, let's get outta here."

They shrugged and exchanged glances, but they followed him.

Chick drove up to Lightning. He lowered his voice, but it still had a hard edge to it. "I'll get you for this McQueen. You haven't heard the last of me." He drove away down the dirt road, obviously speeding.

Lightning was stunned by Chick's sudden departure. "Now, what just happened here?"

"Delinquent road hazard," the Sheriff muttered.

"All right," Doc yelled, moving to glare at all the paparazzi. "Show's over! Now, all of you, get out!" Doc was not one to mince words.

There were sounds of protest from the mob, but neither he nor the Sheriff was going to take 'no' for an answer. They exchanged a look.

Within two minutes flat the track and the surrounding area was completely free of reporters.

"Whoa, how'd you do that?" asked a still-stunned Lightning.

The Sheriff chuckled. "Trade secret, son. Can't tell you."

At that moment, Sally appeared. This was the first time she'd been able to fight her way past all the press to her boyfriend and soon-to-be fiancee.

"Stickers!"

Lightning visibly brightened. "Sally!"

"You were great! And did you see the look on Chick's face as he drove off? Priceless!" she bubbled as she celebrated along with Flo, Red, and everyone else.

With his friends around him and his victory secure, Lightning decided that today was turning out to be a pretty good day.

* * *

A few miles away, speeding away from Radiator Springs and his embarrassing defeat, Chick plotted.

The rookie had one-upped him, and that was unacceptable. Even worse, it had been in public. He could just _imagine _the newspaper headlines the next day.

His grille twisted in a sneer. He _had _to pay McQueen back for this. Just you wait.

Just then, the attention of his pit crew, who was nervously following behind him, was turned towards a humming sound in the distance.

The sound of four engines.

* * *

I was thinking about doing a big goodbye scene between Lightning and Sally before the race. Then I talked myself out of it, saying that it wasn't like he was going off to WAR or something; he's just gonna go race Chick.

Then, I realized, 'Wait, that IS war...'

Please tell me if I got Luigi in character! I feel like he's a bit off. This is the first time I've attempted his character.o.0

Also, does Doc's reasoning as far as keeping the race a secret make sense?:D

Also sorry for taking so long to type this one up!XD It was rather epic, though it's not the end, by all means.


End file.
